The Makings of a Man

Your entire outfit has been carefully selected and is ready for showcase. Your shoes are polished, the pants are pressed, and your crisp dress shirt awaits you. You slide into your outfit and give yourself a once over in the mirror, but something is not quite right. Your dress shirt is not cooperating. You feel like you are being asphyxiated by your dress collar. Your sleeves bear an uncanny likeness to the great Pee Wee Herman. Gentlemen, you are not alone. Not all men wear dress shirts on a regular basis, so some have absolutely no idea what those numbers mean in the inside of their dress shirt collar. I'll explain those mysterious numbers that read 17 36/37.

The number above is actually my own dress shirt size. The first number represents my neck size and the second set of numbers represent my sleeve length. Both numbers are in inches. Some men remember a long lost number from high school and proceed to take an educated guess from there. If the gentleman has either gained or loss weight through the years; it is in his best interest to have the proper measurements taken by a professional salesperson. This could be what stands between you looking like you stumbled into your big/little brother's closet and looking like a true gentleman.

• Take into consideration that dress shirts may shrink after several washings. Allow final sizing to make up for possible shrinkage.
• You should be able to fit 1-2 fingers comfortably between your collar and neck.
• Sleeves should reach the base of the thumb and cover entire wrist. Your sleeve shouldn't retract when bending your elbow.